Pump Systems Matter Helps Industrial Assessment Centers
PSM has supported the IAC students and faculty with training to help them identify pumping system savings opportunities while conducting their audits and developed a checklist to use as a prescreening tool during assessments.
Category: Blogs, PSM Newsletter June 28, 2023
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) program is a federal initiative that provides no-cost energy efficiency assessments to small and medium-sized manufacturing facilities in the United States.
The primary objective of the Industrial Assessment Center program is to help businesses identify opportunities to improve their energy efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and enhance their overall productivity. The program deploys teams of engineering faculty and students from 46 participating universities across the country to conduct comprehensive assessments of manufacturing facilities.
During an assessment, the IAC teams evaluate various aspects of a facility’s operations, including energy use, manufacturing processes, and utility systems. They analyze energy consumption patterns, identify potential energy savings measures, and recommend strategies for optimizing energy efficiency. The assessments cover areas such as lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, motors, compressed air, and increasingly pumping systems. PSM has supported the IAC students and faculty with training to help them identify pumping system savings opportunities while conducting their audits and developed a checklist to use as a prescreening tool during assessments.
Upon completion of the assessment, the IAC teams provide a detailed report to the facility, outlining specific recommendations for energy efficiency improvements. These recommendations may include suggestions for equipment upgrades, process modifications, operational changes, and implementation of energy management systems. The aim is to help businesses reduce their energy costs, minimize their environmental impact, and increase their competitiveness.
The DOE’s Industrial Assessment Center program has been instrumental in assisting numerous manufacturing facilities in identifying and implementing energy-saving measures since its establishment in the 1970s. This year, the DOE is investing up to $250M over the next 5 years to expand the DOE’s IAC program overall along with an additional $10M to establish Building Training and Assessment Centers (BTACs) whose focus will specifically be on building systems.
Most commercial buildings include pumps as part of heating, cooling, chiller, water pressure boosting, fire safety systems, and wastewater systems. Since pump based systems consume more than 35% of a commercial building’s energy this creates an additional opportunity for HI to develop course materials to help students better understand the role of pumping systems in commercial buildings.
For more pump systems in commercial buildings see: https://www.pumps.org/product/commercial-building-services-guidelines-for-pump-selection-application-and-operation/
For More information on Industrial Assessment Centers, visit: https://www.energy.gov/mesc/industrial-assessment-centers-iacs
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